It passed easily, as the country's coalition government enjoys a large majority and the support of some members of the opposition.

The bill will now go to a vote in the upper house, where the government enjoys a majority.

The new bill will allow for abortion in limited cases where the mother's life is threatened.

Abortion laws in Ireland, which is predominantly Catholic, became the focus of global attention and intense debate following the death of 31-year-old Indian woman Savita Halappanavar in a Galway hospital in October 2012.

Ms Halappanavar had sought a termination when told she was miscarrying, but the request was refused as her life was not at risk at the time.

She later died of sepsis days after miscarrying.

The bill follows a 2010 European Court of Human Rights ruling that found Ireland had failed to implement properly the constitutional right to abortion where a woman's life is at risk.

Under a 1992 Supreme Court ruling, women in Ireland are legally entitled to an abortion if needed to save a mother's life, but legislation was never passed to reflect this.